Homeward bound

In November 2010 the shelter's euthanasia rate was around 48%, in November 2012 it had been reduced to 21%.

"There's more of an awareness that you can get a great pet through the RSPCA," says RSPCA Queensland spokesman Michael Beatty who says their growing foster carer network is also buying animals more time.

"Space just used to beat us, due to sheer number overload.

"Dogs for example that do have special needs, and perhaps need to be worked with for behavioural reasons we now have more foster carers that can actually help with that," he says.

Dogs and cats are also being relocated to Cairns and Brisbane animal care centres to be re-homed.

Between 350 and 450 animals are brought into the Townsville shelter each month, that's about 100 animals a week.

Mr Beatty says the transient population of the region may be contributing to that "disturbing" figure.

"When it suits them they just discard the animal as opposed to accepting responsibility for the animal," he says.

While Mr Beatty would like to see greater owner responsibility for their pets in future, for now he says the mood at the shelter is upbeat.

"If we are having to put down less and less animals, obviously the mood in the shelter just skyrockets and that is certainly what is happening lately.

"The staff and volunteers can really see that all their hard work is paying off and that the re-homing rates are going up which is terrific."